The prior arts are separately directed to methods for a massaging mattress, or increasing contour adjusting ability of a mattress. Review of the literature did not reveal any single mattress that offers both massage and adaptation to the shape or topography of a resting body. The topography and contour-adjusting quality of a mattress is the ability of the top layer of the mattress to mold to the contour and topography of the contact surface of a resting body. Numerous mattress designs and filling materials are employed to achieve these criteria. In a conventional mattress, segments of a flexible resting body sink into the mattress according to the weight they apply onto the mattress. For example the pelvis segment sinks into the mattress deeper than the waist segment because it is heavier. The difference in the depth of the sinking of the body segments due to the weight causes lateral curving of the spinal column. This results to stretching of some of the soft tissues such as: muscles, ligaments, joint capsules, and tendons. At the same time it causes compression of some of the joints associated with the spinal column. Due to the difference in the depth of sinking of the body segments, it is the resting body that has to adapt to the mattress surface, not vice versa. Compression and stretching of the tissues and joints during the resting time can result into the morning soreness and stiffness.
The ideal mattress is the one that maintains the natural alignment of the spinal column and distributes the weight of the resting body evenly over the entire contact surface of the mattress and the resting body. The present invention is designed to offer these unique features. The resting surface of the present mattress is composed of the plurality of discrete bases of hollow vertical columns. Under an applied pressure, each of these vertical columns can independently deform; thus the mattress can adjust to the contour and topography of the resting body. The pressure inside of vertical columns remains equal at all times, since the hollow spaces of the vertical columns are interconnected. Hence the upward pressure by the vertical columns unto the resting body will remain equal at all times. This means that the weight of a resting body will be equally divided over all the vertical columns that lie under it. This prevents decubitus wound formation in prolonged bed-rest patients. Optionally, the mattress can be designed to provide a massaging action. To achieve massaging action, pressure inside some of the vertical columns will be increases, at the same time the pressure inside another set (s) of the vertical columns will be decreased. Alteration of the pressure change in the vertical columns will provide the massaging action. These unique features of the present invention distinguish it from the previous ones. The following patents are found to be pertinent to the present invention:
MATTRESS ASSEMBLY FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DECUBITUS ULCERS (John R. P; Michael N. Gold; Saadia M. Schorr, and Jack Gorby, U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,060, Filed Mar. 3, 1989) is a mattress with a base support, mattress core and a top layer. The top layer consists of a plurality of discrete air cells extending over the width of the mattress. The mattress is equipped with a controlling unit that regulates the pressure within individual cells or group of cells. The air cells in this mattress are extended over the width of the mattress; thus it is different from the present invention. Since the air cells are extended over the width of the mattress, it does not adapt to the contour and topography of the resting body in such an extent the present invention does, nor does the mattress provide the massaging action.
INTEGRATED MATRIX BEDDING SYSTEM (Robert D. Leventhal and Paul B. Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,027, Filed Apr. 25, 1997) structurally is the closest mattress to the present invention. This mattress consists of two flexible top and bottom layers. The bottom layer consists of spaced-apart cylinders filled with air. The top layer is made up of foam that has vertical cavities in which the air cylinders of the bottom layer reside. The function of the vertical cavities of the top layer is to prevent lateral displacements of the air cylinders of the bottom layer. The resting surface of the mattress consists of a foam layer and the top surface of the air cylinders of the bottom layer. This mattress does not provide the massaging action either.
AUTOMATED PRESSURE RELIEF MATTRESS SUPPORT SYSTEM (John W. Wilkinson and Richard W. Rabum, U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,196, Filled Jan. 10, 1994) is an air mattress composed of a plurality of longitudinal air cells or air tubes that are connected to a pressurized air source. This mattress can be actively or passively activated to roll a patient from side to side. With regard to the contour and topography adjustment, this mattress shares feature with the invention of John R. P; Michael N. Gold; Saadia M. Schorr, and Jack Gorby, and does not offer massaging action.
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ALTERING PRESSURE OF A LOW AIR LOSS PATIENT SUPPORT SYSTEM (John H. Verzalik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,654, Filled Sep. 28, 1998) is a low air-loss mattress with two sets of rectangular air cells. The air cells are connected to a pressurized air source. By altering the air pressure in the sets of air bags, patient can be rolled from one side to the other side. Since the air cells are extended over the width of the mattress, this invention does not emphasize on the contour and topography adjustment as the present invention does. Also this invention does not provide massaging action.
AIR SUPPORT MATTRESS OVERLAY WITH FITTED SHEET MOUNTING (Miller, Sr. and Craig S., U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,941, Filed Feb. 13, 1997) is an inflated overlay that cab be placed on top of a mattress. The device has a base sheet that on the top has secured inflated elements extending over the width of the mattress. The overlay can be folded or rolled for transportation. This mattress differs from the present invention, since it does not adjust to the topography and contour of the resting body and does not offer massaging action either.
AIR MATTRESS FOR MODULATING RIDDEN POSITIONES (Wu; Shan-Chie), U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,762, Filed Jul. 1, 1998) is a mattress with a plurality of inflatable sacs extending to the width of the bed. These sacs are positioned in a mattress envelope. The sacs can be inflated or deflated for cushioning a patient. A plurality of the longitudinally positioned air cells is used to roll the patient from one side to other side. The longitudinally positioning of the air cells in this mattress is in contrast to the present invention in which the resting surface of the mattress is provided by the collection of bases of the air cells, hence these two inventions function in two different ways.
MASSAGING SYSTEM HAVING ISOLATED VIBRATORS (Sleichter C, U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,880, Filed Apr. 25, 2000) employs multiple motorized vibrators to provide massaging action in a vehicle seat. The disadvantages of using vibrators in a mattress include noise, vibration, and inability of the coverage of the entire resting surface.
MASSAGING MATTRESS (Chan H, U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,588, Filed Dec. 8, 1992) utilizes an elastic-stuffing material and a mattress covering. Wooden beads alternated with magnets are located between these two layers. The beads are connected via ropes to form a net. Rolling of the beads provides massaging action. Two major disadvantages are associated with this invention. First, the beads can not contact the pelvis segment and the waist segment with the same intensity due to lack of ability of the mattress to adjust to the topography of the resting body. Second, the movement of the beads will aggravate the sore spots of the body.
ROLLING-MASSAGING MATTRESS OR CUSHION (Chan H, U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,936, Filed May 23, 1995) introduced a layered mattress. Magnetic beads and balls are located between the top covering layer and the intermediate layer. Rolling of the balls and magnetic beads provides the massaging action. This invention contains the same disadvantages of the previous invention.
The top surface of the mattress is composed of plurality of the bases of the hollow vertical columns. In a simpler design, the mattress does not provide the massaging action. In this case the mattress is composed of two layers: a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer of the mattress comprising of an elastic-air and water impermeable material sealed to the bottom later. These two layers together form an air and water impermeable system. The top layer is composed of plurality of bases of closely packed hollow-elastic vertical columns with a low friction surface. The base of each hollow column has a polygon or cylindrical shape. Under applied pressure from a body each column can deform independently from the neighboring columns.
The bottom layer of the mattress is hollow and together with the top layer it forms an air/water sealed system. The inner hollow spaces of the top and bottom layers are connected that can be filled up with air, water, gel, or any other elastic material. The bottom layer can be made up of the same material as the top layer, or made up of a none-elastic material. From the open side, each hollow column is connected to the bottom layer. Therefore, air or other filling materials can freely move between two layers of the mattress. The contour adjusting quality of the mattress is achieved by deformation of the columns that are directly located under a resting body. The topography adjusting is achieved by the fact that the extent of the deformation in each column is directly proportional to the pressure it receives from the resting body.
With a different design the mattress can also offer massaging action on the resting body. Thus, the mattress is composed of plurality of longitudinally attached mattress units. Each mattress unit is composed of one elastic-hollow rectangular prism and multiple elastic-hollow vertical columns. As in the other design explained above, the outer surface of the vertical columns is made up of a low friction material to prevent noise and decrease friction. The vertical columns are attached to one longitudinal side of the prism. In a mattress unit the hollow spaces of the vertical columns are connected with the hollow space of the rectangular prism, forming a single hollow space of the mattress unit. The rectangular prism is open on one end, forming the opening of the mattress unit. The mattress units are longitudinally connected side by side in such a way that all the vertical columns are placed on the topside of the mattress. Therefore, the top surface of the mattress is composed of the plurality of the discrete bases of the vertical columns. The mattress units are divided into two or more sets in such a way that no two adjacent mattress units belong to the same unit set. By simultaneous increasing pressure in one unit set and at the same time decreasing pressure in the adjacent unit set(s), the mattress applies upward massaging action onto the resting body. Each column can be compressed independently; this maximizes the ability of the mattress to adapt to the shape and topography of the resting body. The hollow spaces of all vertical columns are interconnected, therefore the internal pressure in the vertical columns remain equal at all time. That means the weight of the resting body will be distributed equally between all vertical columns located under the resting body. This prevents bed sore spots and decubitus wound formation in a prolonged bed-rest patient.